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Dracula
was a famous and powerful vampire. Possessing abilities uncommon to vampires, he sold his story and became a celebrity in both demon and human societies, but was considered by many to be a myth. Both an enemy and ally to the Scooby Gang, Dracula maintained a rivalry with the Slayer, Buffy Summers, and an unusual friendship with Alexander Harris. Biography Rise to fame As a human, Dracula was known as Vlad the Impaler."Buffy vs. Dracula" He claimed to have killed more people than God's plagues combined before he was ever a vampire,Wolves at the Gate, Part Four and made reference to impaling people in times past, such as those who failed to show him deference, for example.New Rules, Part Three He met and "hung out" with Anyanka, a vengeance demon and Patron Saint of Scorned Women when she was about 700 years old. Anyanka had cursed a man by making him incredibly obese and Dracula complimented her by saying that the man was doomed forever. In the 19th century, Dracula's story was published in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, which caused concern among the vampire community, who labeled him a sell-out for making their vulnerabilities public knowledge to humans. He also formed a rivalry with the vampire Spike, at least partially over a debt of eleven pounds, though Spike later claimed that Dracula "forgot all about his foes" because of his increasing fame from both the novel bearing his name and its various adaptations. Encounter with Buffy Summers In 2000, Dracula came to Sunnydale, a Californian town which lay on a Hellmouth and was home to Buffy Summers. He had heard the stories about the world-famous Slayer and wanted to meet her himself. Introducing himself to the starstruck Scooby Gang, Dracula hypnotized Buffy's friend Xander into becoming his servant and later seduced Buffy into letting him bite her whilst in her bed. Xander eventually led Buffy to Dracula's mansion on the outskirts of Sunnydale, where she tried to take control and kill him, but once again fell victim to his "thrall". Dracula forced to feed of his blood, however, this caused Buffy to regain her senses and she proceeded to battle the vampire and staked him. Upon her apparent departure, Dracula tried to reform from mist, but Buffy reappeared and staked him a second time, telling him she was wise to his tricks, having "seen his movies". When he again tried to reform, she reminded him that she was still there and would just stake him again if he came back. Mid-life crisis Some time after the destruction of Sunnydale, a lonely Dracula kidnapped Xander and put him under his thrall for a second time. Discovering Xander's location, Buffy arrived at Dracula's castle with two other Slayers and demanded her friend be returned to her, brushing off his attempts to frighten her. While fighting Buffy, Dracula lamented how he had become a joke and warned Buffy that she too would become antiquated one day. Buffy simply ridiculed Dracula for his "mid-life crisis". He eventually agreed to release his "manservant" from his trance, but not before bidding him an emotional goodbye and genuinely thanking Xander for the time they spend together."Antique" In Tokyo A band of vampires possessing abilities similar to Dracula's executed a raid on the Slayer Organization command center in Scotland, successfully stealing Buffy's Slayer weapon Mʔ. With no other leads, Xander and Renee were dispatched to seek Dracula's aid.Wolves at the Gate, Part One Unbeknownst to them, Dracula continued to deal with his crisis by drowning his sorrows in alcohol, having even lost his lust to kill. However, the sight of the approaching Xander led him to shave and take on a younger appearance.Wolves at the Gate, Part Two After meeting with Xander again, Dracula pretended he led a pleasurable existence with aid of his new manservant, Butterfield, while not hiding his disgust for Renee, whom he referred to as "moor". After a while, Dracula revealed that, while intoxicated, he had lost the secret of his more-than-vampire powers in a bet with a group of Japanese vampires, wagered against a Kawasaki 21000 motorcycle. Outraged with both himself and his opponents, Dracula agreed to assist in the assault on Tokyo, despite his hatred of Buffy and the Slayers in general, in order to get revenge on the vampires who stole his powers. Upon arriving in Scotland, Dracula aided Willow Rosenberg in preparing the Carolina's Grasp containment spell to counter the magical plans of Toru and his pack of vampires. Toru sought to undo Willow's Slayer activation spell from years before, and remove the powers from the masses of girls that now composed Buffy's army.Wolves at the Gate, Part Three Dracula fought in the battle in Tokyo, killing many of Toru's underlings, and providing a magical sword that was able to unmake the vampire's spell before it was completed. Dracula's sword was enchanted by demons and was likened to the Slayer Scythe. Willow used the Sword to remove the mystical powers that the vampires possessed. Toru himself was even bested by Dracula, but the killing blow was given to Xander, who struck Toru down to avenge the death of Renee. After scattering Renee's ashes, Xander told the departing Dracula that he was no longer the vampire's servant and would kill him if he ever called him one again.Wolves at the Gate, Part Four Dracula returned to his castle in Transylvania, but kept writing letters to Xander, even though he never received a response. In San Francisco Following the end of magic and the subsequent creation of the new Seed of Wonder, the newly sired vampires displayed the power to shapeshift into giant bats, wolves, night panthers, bees and mist. Though realizing they did not get these powers through stealing them from Dracula like the Japanese vampires did, the Scoobies figured Dracula might be able to tell them how these powers worked.New Rules, Part Two Xander and Dawn traveled to Transylvania, where Dracula and Butterfield made up stories about the incredible life they were living in Xander's absence. Hearing of vampires whose powers might outshine his own, Dracula agreed to come to San Francisco to investigate. After a confrontation with several new vampires, Dracula went with the Scoobies to Xander and Dawn's apartment. They came up with the conclusion that he was emblematic to all vampires, and the new rules accepted this consensus that was applied to those sired under the new magic. Upon learning that the blank pages of the Vampyr book were being filled as the rules of magic were created, Dracula theorized the reverse might also be true: writing in the Vampyr book might establish new rules of magic. He sent Buffy and Willow to capture a new vampire to investigate how their powers worked, but this was a only a ruse to remove them from the apartment. Xander fell back under Dracula's thrall and the two managed to flee with the Vampyr book. Inside room 303 of the Hotel Luxe, Dracula had Xander write various statements about him in the Vampyr book: first restoring his body to its younger form, then making him be recognized as lord of all vampires by all beings. Vampires quickly started showing up to the room, and while some indeed came to worship him, others intended to kill him to become the new lord of vampires themselves. To prevent anyone from being able to harm him, Xander wrote in the book that "Dracula became the most powerful vampire of all". This, however, caused Dracula to transform into Maloker, the powerful Old One who created the first vampire, whose essence lived on and the vague description allowed him to come back into being through Dracula's body.New Rules, Part Four The Scooby Gang attempted to battle the massive Old One on the streets of San Francisco, with Dracula's hold over Xander weakening as his persona was being overwritten by Maloker's. Willow used magic to turn Dawn into a giant and had a priest bless the Redwood Investment Group building, after which Dawn staked Maloker by pushing him onto it. Maloker turned to dust, but Dracula was able to come back from being staked and reassemble in his original form. However, he immediately started transforming again and pleaded with the Scoobies to kill him, but Xander interrupted Buffy's attempt to do so. Writing into into the Vampyr book that Dracula was able to overcome Maloker using his willpower immediately returned Dracula to normal. In addition, Xander wrote that everyone Dracula had power over found themselves free. Xander promised they could still hang out as long as it was as normal people. Warning to be careful with the Vampyr book, Dracula turned to mist and disappeared to return to Transylvania.New Rules, Part Five Magic Council Dracula was appointed as a member of the third Magic Council following the demise of the previous members at the hands of D'Hoffryn, and the death of D'Hoffryn himself. When Dracula arrived at the Plaza Inn to attend the August meeting, he was greeted by Lilah Morgan of Wolfram & Hart who hoped to offer legal advice and lobby services. Dracula rejected her offer, as he didn't trust lawyers.Own It, Part Five Personality Personality-wise, Dracula was similar to a vain celebrity; he was deeply convinced of his own superiority and highly aware of his world-wide fame. Spike described him as both a "poncy sod" and a "glory hound". He enjoyed living a life of luxury, not being one for remaining "low profile". Charismatic and handsome, Dracula often inspired fear and respect from those around him, becoming visibly annoyed if they were not impressed. However, his pretensions hid his true feelings of loneliness; according to Xander he lied to everyone, including himself. He also came to resent his status as a pop culture icon rather than a true and feared figure of evil, referring to Stoker's novel as "a bodice-ripping hackwork for repressed Victorian matrons", and telling Andrew Wells to remind him to urinate on Stoker's grave. Because of his advanced age and origins in landlocked central Europe, Dracula had an idiosyncratic and often bigoted view of race. He never addressed Renee directly, instead conveying messages through Xander to his "moor". He also referred to a group of Japanese vampires as "filthy yellow swine" on more than one occasion. Dracula appeared to adorn many common stereotypes about vampires. Like Drusilla, Dracula wore archaic clothing such as capes and other traditional garments that represented 15th century aristocracy. Dracula enjoyed living in large castles and mansions, and even slept in a coffin. Appearance Dracula appeared to others as a tall, young white (though pale) man of eastern European complexion, with an athletic build, long dark hair to just below his jawline, and "penetrating" blue eyes. He appeared to be in his late 20's and dressed in a very expensive manner. He had a slight Transylvanian accent and a rich voice. He stood about 6’2”. His striking features along with his fame made him very attractive to the point that Willow, a lesbian, even admitted to finding him "sexy". However, this handsome demeanor was merely an illusion cast by his hypnotic powers. Dracula was actually a wrinkled old man with white hair. Xander described him having "wrinkles and age spots everywhere. Deep crow's-feet. The nose of an alcoholic sea captain" with "full-body rosacea". Since vampires did not physically age, he likely was sired at an old age. When Dracula got into the possession of the Slayer Handbook, he had Xander restore his body "its bloom of youth, vigor and comeliness." Powers and abilities Dracula-in-Buffy-dracula-7469163-742-600.jpg|Dracula using hypnosis. DraculaFog.jpg|Dracula turning into mist. DraculaWolf.jpg|As a wolf. Dracula panther.JPG|As a panther. Dracula swarm of bees.JPG|As a swarm of bees. Dracula bat.JPG|As a bat. DracDecapitates.png|Dracula beheads a vampire. Besides the regular powers of vampires, Dracula possessed a number of magical abilities. According to Spike, these powers were nothing but "showy Gypsy stuff". Dracula explained his powers were part of "the ancient magics". He said he risked his very soul to attain them and that he was their worldly guardian.Wolves at the Gate, Part Two However, he later revealed that the spells were actually mere window dressing, intended to strengthen his power of will, and that he gained his powers literally by willing it to be so. Nevertheless, it took him decades to achieve them. Because of his advanced age, Dracula possessed greater strength than most vampires and demonstrated this when he easily beheaded new vampires with a swift blow and by choking them hard enough (new vampires were much stronger than normal ones). He is an excellent hand-to-hand combatant and is skilled with many medieval melee and ranged weapons. He also was proficient in sword-fighting.Wolves at the Gate, Part Four Dracula could display vampire fangs and/or eyes without taking on the full "vampire visage" of many common vampires. Additionally, according to Willow, Dracula could read people's minds and project himself in others' dreams based on the research she did on the Internet, though none of these powers were demonstrated. * Shapeshifting: Using magic, Dracula was able to transform into various nocturnal animals such as bats, wolves, and panthers. He could also assume the form of a swarm of bees or a cloud of mist which allowed him to easily dodge attacks. His shapeshifting powers were limited to nighttime, as he could not change shape during the day. *'Flight:' He was able to fly when shapeshifted in the form of a bat, swarm of bees, or cloud of mist. * Reconstitution: If Dracula were ever staked, he would seemingly die as he turned to dust, but only before appearing as a cloud of mist and reconstituting himself. The only way to permanently kill him was to behead him and burn the head and body separately. *'Hypnosis:' Dracula's main power was his hypnotism. He could use these powers to put people under his "thrall". This power could be activated at will without the need of physical contact, or even gaining the victim's concentration like Drusilla did, simply by commanding his victim immediately to do it. With it, he could reduce Xander into his "manservant", making Xander refer to him as his master, dedicated to pleasing him in order to be sired, turn against his friends, eat insects and spiders, and even change his mannerisms and posture into something resembling an Igor. His influence on Buffy didn't totally remove her free mind, but made her willing and submissive, if not hesitant. This stopped when she drank his blood, the shock of its taste (which she described as "gross") bringing her back to her senses. Dracula has said his ability to put people under his thrall would only work on people who were weak-minded or (secretly) wanted it, which was backed up by Giles, who said his victims needed to want to be taken. He also used his hypnotism to glamour as his younger self, rather than his true, old form. *'Magic:' He demonstrated proficiency in magic, given the fact that he imparted knowledge on how to perform Carolina's Grasp to Willow. *'Razor-sharp fingernails:' Like Darla and Drusilla, Dracula seemed to possess very sharp fingernails which allowed him to slit a person's throat and slit his own wrist in order to let Buffy taste his blood. *'Lightning sensory:' Under the appearance of weather manipulation, Dracula was instead merely able to sense when lightning was about to strike, which he used for dramatic effect. Relationships *'Three Sisters' — They were a trio of female vampires who lived with Dracula in his Transylvanian castle and joined Dracula when he traveled to Sunnydale. *'Anya Jenkins' — Anya told the Scooby Gang that she and Dracula "hung out a few times" back in her demon days. She claimed "He's pretty cool. You know, from a whole… evil thing perspective." Dracula was impressed with Anyanka's work as a vengeance demon, and Anya thought his compliments were "really sweet". However, she doubted he would remember her anymore, as she was "just a silly young thing. I mean, like seven hundred or so." *'Buffy Summers' — Dracula was enamored with the infamous Slayer, viewing her as his equal. According to Willow, Dracula liked to make a connection with his victims before he sired them. Describing her as "magnificent", he seduced Buffy into letting him bite her in her bed. Buffy was initially starstruck by the vampire, and rather flattered that he held her in such regard. Nevertheless, when she broke free of his thrall, she ridiculed him for his clichéd routines and defeated him relatively easily. When next they met, Buffy was distinctly unimpressed by Dracula, mocking him for his attempts to intimidate her. *'Alexander Harris' — When first they met, Dracula was confused by Xander, referring to him as "strange and off-putting". Xander, like Buffy, mocked Dracula and was not particularly frightened of him, even challenging him to a fight. Dracula effortlessly put him under his thrall, turning him into a loyal servant with a compulsion to eat insects. When the spell was broken, Xander expressed anger at being reduced to a "spider-eating man bitch". Dracula seemed to miss Xander, as he later went to the effort of putting him under his thrall once more, apparently for no other reason than to offer himself company. The two spent an unknown part of a year together, with Xander showing Dracula how to ride a motorcycle and other activities. When Buffy tried to rescue her friend, the brainwashed Xander remained loyal to his "master", slapping Buffy in an pathetic attempt to repel her. Realizing he belonged back with the Scoobies, Dracula reluctantly told Xander to leave, but thanked him for his company. At their next meeting Dracula displayed unmistakable affection for Xander. Dracula protected him immediately after Renee was killed, offered him the coup de grâce after disabling the vampire who killed her, and even offered, in a friendly manner, to "assist" Xander in his private funeral for Renee. When Dracula came to San Francisco to help investigate the powers of the new vampires, he once again put Xander under his thrall. Xander showed complete loyalty to his "master", attacking his friends and stealing the Vampyr book before fleeing with the vampire. When Dracula started transforming into Maloker, he urged the others to kill him, telling Xander it would mean a great deal to him if he would be the one to put an end to it. Xander was able to reverse the transformation and also freed everyone Dracula had power over. Dracula assumed he and Xander would not see each other again now that his thrall over him was broken, but Xander promised they could still hang out as long as it was as normal people. Referring to each other as "Xander" and "buddy", instead of "manservant" and "master" the two parted on friendly terms with the promise of maintaining contact. *'Joyce Summers' — Joyce allowed Dracula to pick her up and have coffee together, later inviting him back to her house. This allowed Dracula to enter their home at night and visit her daughter, the Slayer. Gallery Buffy vs. Dracula 02.jpg S5stills099-0.jpg Buffy vs. Dracula 03.jpg Buffy vs. Dracula 01.jpg Buffy vs. Dracula 05.jpg S5stills095.jpg Buffy vs. Dracula 04.jpg Buffy vs. Dracula 06.jpg B5x01 Dracula.jpg Tales of the Vampires 3b.jpg B8-15-00b.jpg B8-03b Wolves at the Gate.jpg BuffyS10 3 A art.jpg BuffyS10 3 B art.jpg BuffyS10 4 A art.jpg Behind the scenes *He was portrayed by Rudolf Martin in "Buffy vs. Dracula" and dubbed by Ethan Sawyer in the Season Eight Motion Comic. *The writers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer came up with the idea of using Dracula because Marti Noxon wanted a Dracula-like character who was "just another vampire who rode a horse and was all cool". Joss Whedon was the one who said "Why not Dracula? He's public domain."Interview with Marti Noxon *Rudolf Martin also played Dracula in the film Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula. He had already worked with Sarah Michelle Gellar in All My Children, where they co-starred as Kendall Hart and Anton Lang. *The image of Dracula in a grey outfit and top hat from Wolves at the Gate, Part Two resembles Dracula as played by Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula. *Sarah Michelle Gellar's husband, Freddie Prinze Jr, was considered for the role of Dracula. *When asked about the nature of Dracula and Xander's relationship, writer Christos Gage responded that he personally believes Dracula harbors some romantic feelings for Xander. "But it's much more complex than that. I think Xander makes him feel like his best self. He completes him."Buffy Season 10 #5 Q&A with Christos Gage Appearances Canonical Others *''Remember the End'' ;''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' novels *''Blackout'' *"House of the Vampire" *''Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Picture Book'' ;''Spike'' comics *''Spike: Old Times'' *''Spike vs. Dracula, Part One'' *''Spike vs. Dracula, Part Two'' *''Spike vs. Dracula, Part Three'' *''Spike vs. Dracula, Part Four'' *''Spike vs. Dracula, Part Five'' ;''Angel'' comics *"A Blessing and "The Curse"" }} References fr:Dracula Category:Vampires Category:Males Category:Vampire Masters Category:Magic practitioners Category:Scooby Gang enemies Category:Scooby Gang allies Category:Slayer Organization enemies Category:Slayer Organization allies